Three months ago to the day, Adam Idah jogged calmly towards the roaring Celtic end of Hampden.
A sea of limbs swept the stands of the national stadium, and the 23-year-old forward cupped his ears as a means of soaking it all in.
As if struck by lightning – or at least suddenly appreciative of the gravity of the situation unfolding before him – he punched the air, clenched his fists and allowed the adrenaline coursing through his veins to give way to euphoria.
In the 89th minute of the Scottish Cup Final 2024, having been on the pitch for less than half-an-hour, Idah had just netted what would be the only goal of the game in the most dramatic of circumstances.
In four short months on-loan from parent club Norwich City, the Irishman had helped his side clinch a traditional league and cup double, playing the biggest hand in the latter triumph.
A few days later, Idah returned to the south-east of England. And so began a near-interminable will-he/won't-he saga that'd have put Ross Geller and Rachel Green to shame.
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Idah did indeed get off the plane, committing the next five years of his professional career to Glasgow's east end earlier this month, and featuring once more in green and white last weekend as a second-half substitute in Celtic's 3-1 League Cup win over Hibs at Celtic Park.
This afternoon, Brendan Rodgers' side return to league action with a trip to St Mirren, and Idah can't wait to return to Scottish Premiership competition.
"The reception at the weekend there in the Cup tie against Hibs was unreal," he said. "It makes me feel so welcome here and I want to do as much as I can to repay that.
"The team had a good pre-season and there is a real togetherness in the group. They have all been buzzing for this new campaign and you can see it in their play on the pitch.
“They have been great so far and hopefully we can continue to be going forward. They got off to a great start and I am happy to be back now and eager to play my part in trying to keep it going."
In the next week alone, keeping that going at Celtic starts with today's away fixture at St Mirren in Paisley. It means taking in Thursday's UEFA Champions League draw, seeing out the transfer window which closes on Friday, August 30, and then playing Rangers at Celtic Park two days after that again.
As far as big weeks go, the upcoming one is a blockbuster.
"Everyone here is excited to play in the Champions League. Especially so, in my case, because it will be a new experience for me," said Idah to this end. "It has always been a dream of mine to play in the Champions League. To have this opportunity now is unbelievable.
"Everyone speaks about the atmosphere you get at Celtic Park on all these big European nights. I have watched them with family and friends since I was young.
"I was a bit young to really appreciate the win over Barcelona (in 2012), but if you are asking about any more recent ones that stick in the memory, the 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid at Celtic Park last year was a good one.
“The visit of Real Madrid the year before was a huge occasion too. One of those big games where you get together with family and friends to enjoy. There was a big group of us for that one.
"But to experience them as a player from the inside will be a whole new thing for me. I am dying to play in one of the games, I cannot wait for them to come around. "The draw is coming up now and it is exciting. That will build up with each passing day until we see who we have got."
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Idah says he and his teammates will relish whoever the draw throws at them, but reiterated they have a job to take care of in Paisley this afternoon before allowing their minds to wander too far.
The same applies to the ongoing transfer window.
Idah added: “Obviously, I am excited that I managed to get my move but in terms of other players' futures that has got nothing to do with me. I do not know what is going to happen there. “My main goal is to go and try to win every game for Celtic and I am sure that is the same for everyone. I do not think there will be anyone focused more on the window than winning games. What happens, happens."
Indeed, Idah can do very little to influence matters off the pitch. But the returning striker remains determined to do everything he can on it, in his bid to repay the fans for their support – and replicate the form that etched his name into Celtic's modern history in such a short stretch last season.
Speaking to his own form, Idah said he feels good following an intense preseason regime at Norwich City. And while the 23-year-old didn't accrue as much game time as he'd have liked in the close season, he's confident he can make up for lost time in the weeks and months ahead.
With Kyogo back on the training pitch, and with Daizen Maeda stepping into the main striker role in Celtic's starting XI last week, the extent of Idah's involvement against St Mirren remains to be seen. But, as ever, the forward is ready to go as and when required. "I feel good," he said. "There has been a lot said that I have not done much in pre-season, but I did. I was training every day when I was back at Norwich and although I did not play many minutes there, I was training hard every day.
"Obviously, I came in wanting to play games – that is the main aim for me. To get as sharp as I can and score some goals.
"As for St Mirren, everyone is looking forward to playing them. We never take any game for granted but you look at this one and it should be a good test for us.
"But, look, we are going there to try and get all three points and play the best we possibly can. I am looking forward to it."
